When it appeared in the skies over Europe in 1941, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190
A was the best fighter in the world. It was more than a match for the
best Spitfires the RAF could field and began shooting them down in
ever-increasing numbers. Only the introduction of the Spitfire IX with
its two-stage supercharged Merlin overturned its supremacy.
Alongside the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 is the iconic fighter of
the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. It was hugely adaptable and
fought on nearly all fronts, proving to be a formidable opponent.
The Fw 190 F and G fighter-bombers effectively replaced the Ju 87 Stuka
in the ground-attack role in the west and provided the Luftwaffe with
much-needed additional capability.
The Fw 190 was used for the Mistel flying bomb combination and as a test
aircraft for the Ruhrstahl X-4 wire-guided air-to-air missile, and in
its Fw 190 A-8 and A-9 forms fought on the front line right until the
bitter end.
This book tells the story of the legendary fighter with previously
unseen drawings and photos which shed new light on the aircraft's
origins.